


An Honor Bestowed

by GoodJanet



Category: The King's Speech (2010)
Genre: Friendship/Love, Kissing, M/M, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 19:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8813371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodJanet/pseuds/GoodJanet
Summary: It's the logical next step for them, Bertie decides.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Your Cruise Director (cruisedirector)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cruisedirector/gifts).



> Written for cruisedirector because I wouldn't have started writing fic for these two in 2011 without her!

“Bertie, I just want you to know: I’m very proud of you. You did fine today. Just fine.”

Lionel reaches out a hand and briefly squeezes the king’s bicep in congratulations. It feels as though an electric pulse has shot through his arm. And it might be caused by the adrenalin from giving the speech or maybe it’s from the anxiety of its reception, but when Bertie looks up at his dear friend, he knows the real reason.

Before he lose his nerve—because if he has the nerve to address his kingdom, he should have the nerve to do this—he hauls Lionel in to him by the lapels of his tuxedo jackets and crushes their mouths together. It only lasts a few seconds, but soon, Bertie’s mind catches up with his mouth, and he pulls away.

“Sorry,” he says. “I-I’m sorry. I’m s-sorry. I—”

“ _Bertie_ ,” Lionel says.

Bertie quiets himself. He swallows and waits to hear what Lionel is going to say.

“Kissing one’s married male monarch must have quite the severe sentence, yes?” Lionel asks after a moment. 

Bertie laughs softly in relief.

“I thought y-you were going to-to be angry.”

“Quite the opposite, actually,” Lionel says. “How many of your subjects can claim that such an honor was bestowed upon them?”

Before Bertie can answer, the door to the antechamber opens, and Elizabeth walks in. Her gaze flicks momentarily to Lionel, who has the decency to blush with a modicum of shame. Elizabeth looks back to her husband, who appears just as guilty.

To the both of them, she says, “It certainly took you two long enough. More on that later. They’re waiting for you, dear.”

She holds her hand out to her husband, and Bertie walks the few steps over to take it. He looks over his shoulder when they reach the door to the balcony, anxious for Lionel to see the fruits of his labors and also just to have him near.

And there he was, of course, standing just a few feet back, like always. 

Lionel smiles.

Bertie breathes.

**Author's Note:**

> This is fic is based on something Colin Firth said to the effect that, if Helena Bonham Carter hadn't entered the room at the end of the film, then maybe Bertie and Lionel would've and should've kissed. I think he's correct.


End file.
